Book reviews #1

On holiday, I read 3 books while sitting on the beach. Considering we didn't spend that much time sitting around, I surprised myself at finishing 3 actual books!

Here are my reviews that I will add to Amazon for the first time:

I Left My Tent in San Francisco by Emma Kennedy (2 out of 5 from me, 4 out of 5 from Pete)

Pete loved this book and laughed out loud on many occasions. I found it a bit annoying and far too obvious, but did laugh enough to say that it's worth a read.

Supposedly based on true experiences of 3 months in America following graduation from Oxford University. I am sure that no person would be so naive and stupid (despite being a brainy graduate) and also unlucky.

I cant believe that the situations that the author found herself in were real. This style can work if put across purely as fiction, but silly setting after silly setting was a bit much for me.

If you want an easy quick read that is humorous, then this book is for you. If storylines where you can see the story coming for a light year away, then read with caution.


11 minutes by Paulo Coelho (2 out of 5)

I was surprised to find this book was written in such contrasting styles and lacked any natural flow. There was far too much "she said this, then she did that, then she went here" etc. It sounded like an A Level student's story. The book then introduced an alternate approach with whole chapters that made little or no sense - in both the writing style and content.

I was confused at the rants about love and suffering and it meant that the limited enjoyment I had experienced, soon disappeared. By this point in fact, I cared little for the main character.

I was disappointed with this book both the style and the storyline, especially considering that it was written by such a renowned author.


Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver (4 out of 5)

This latest James Bond book, written in the style of Ian Fleming, ticked all of the boxes... Action, intrigued, gadgets, locations, humour, sex, style etc.  The book licked along at a perfect pace and the plot just implausible enough to work.

Although set in modern times, I found myself picturing a young Sean Connery rather than Daniel Craig as Bond. Having a history of watching Bond films, this added to the enjoyment.

I think that Jeffery Deaver should write the next few Bond films as the current script writers are missing the the humour and storylines that the best Bond films have.